I am an expert excuse generator. It is part of my nature. Not my spiritual, redeemed nature. Excuse-making comes from my sinful, flesh nature.
We offer excuses because we do not want to take responsibility. Just consider the way that they are explained. You give an excuse. You take responsibility.
An excuse is that which you offer others to hide your sin, your shame, your insecurities, your weaknesses, your guilt. Responsibility is the mantle that you take upon yourself so that you can relieve others of the burden.
When we make excuses, we work to shift blame. We work to burden someone else. When we take responsibility, we own the blame. We carry our own burden.
Adam was the first excuse-maker. When God questioned Adam in the garden, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Adam answered,
The woman you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree and I ate.
Adam, unwilling to own responsibility for his failure to protect his wife and for his failure to obey the Lord, seeks to shift blame. Who does Adam blame? God and his wife.
Since that time, we have all imitated our first father. We are not only sinners, we are excuse-makers and blame-shifters.
Like Adam, we look for someone else to blame. We avoid mirrors and point fingers.
Individually, we all know how tempting it is to blame our bad behavior on anything other than ourselves. We want to blame our childhood, the person who made me angry, society, or any infinite number of reasons or other people can become excuses. Culturally, the LGBTQ agenda has sought to regularly explain the sin of homosexuality by nature or nurture or genetics.
Do you see what is happening? A society that wants to distance itself from God still can’t get away from the same sin of Adam. Like Adam, we blame God: God, you did this to me. God, the people you gave me did this to me. God, you are responsible. We cling to lies and excuses rather than owning responsibility.
The truth? Excuses are exhausting. They require time and energy and often lies. Excuses get in the way of real forgiveness and healing. Excuses keep us stuck in our problems and sin. Excuses block us from the healing power of Jesus.
How? Because we cannot be forgiven until we acknowledge our sin. As long as you are working to defend your sin, there is no forgiveness.
But, if you will confess your sin, God is faithful and just to forgive you (and me) of your sin and cleanse you from all unrighteousness, according to 1 John 1:9.
Jesus didn’t make excuses. Jesus acknowledged all of our sin and shame. Jesus called people out for their sin and their lack of belief. He didn’t make excuses. He called on people to take responsibility. And then, Jesus took responsibility for our sin. Jesus took our sin and shame and punishment. No excuses. No finger pointing. Just grace, love, and mercy.
Stop making excuses. Start taking responsibility. Watch the world around you change.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
